RL has traditionally decided it's champions through a play-off event, so whether you agree with the system or not it's hardly 'mickey mouse'. Neither is it an invention of Sky.

Deciding the champions by whoever finishes top was a relatively short-lived system when compared to play-offs.

Has anyone heard the rumour that the challenge cup will now be awarded after the 1/4 finals?

No One has won the league leaders shield playing less than 27 games
and in other seasons we've had some form of concocted extra fixtures.

when the league had 12 teams it meant you only had 22 games if you played everyone once. So we got those random extra 6 and then later 5 games..........

when we had 14 teams we just got the one extra magic weekend game......

Year Leaders Pld
2003 Bradford 28
2004 Leeds 28
2005 St Helens 28
2006 St Helens 28
2007 St Helens 27
2008 St Helens 27
2009 Leeds 27
2010 Wigan 27
2011 Warrington 27
2012 Wigan 27
2013 Huddersfield 27
2014 St Helens 27
2015 Leeds 30

Pains me to say it but it is deserved, best team of 2016 finished top.

Don't the quarter finalists have to play off in a new fangled mini league called semis and final though?

The first grand final was'nt until 1998 so not sure what your getting at by saying rl traditionally used play offs to decide champions. The premiership was never that and basically a end of season knock out trophy were you had to finish in the top 8 to be in it but the championship was already awarded ( normally to Wigan in my time ) before that for team that finished top.sorry if misunderstood you but rl being round long before 1998

What Kosh said was that the champions had traditionally been decided by a play-off event, the concept of being crowned champions after being top of the league is a relatively new one, introduced in the early seventies I think. Prior to then, the championship was awarded after an end of season play-off system, similar to now.

Then he's wrong.the grand final was'nt until 1998.before then if you finished top you wad champions like Bradford was before the play offs were introduced. Maybe we've had the play offs in super league for longer than not but r.l wasn't invented in 1998.i like the play offs and wouldn't go back to no play offs but in the history rugby league the play offs are a relatively new concept although they av been around for 17 yrs now

I think you need to do a bit of research before you make yourself look even less informed

Suggest you look at RL history books....

Out of 121 years of rugby league in this country, if you discount the 12 years of county or wartime leagues, there were only 35 years without play-offs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_Foo ... ampionship

Out of 121 years of rugby league in this country, if you discount the 12 years of county or wartime leagues, there were only 35 years without play-offs. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rugby_Foo ... ampionship

Half time score: Warrington 16 Huddersfield 14

Final score Warrington 34 Huddersfield 30. Lead changed hands six times.

Doesn't affect our Super 8 fixtures but condemns Huddersfield to bottom just three years after they won the League Leaders Shield.

Doh -homer Simpson style

I'll tell you what watching Salford last night Leeds and Huddersfield of late and with Leigh just bringing in another Aussie for the play offs I wouldn't want to be in Rovers boots just now! In fact I would worry if we were down there its going to be very interesting I think!